Filing equipment



June 5, 1923.

J T. QLMGLEY FILING EQUIPMENT 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 1.3,

[Parker James,

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J. T. QUIGLEY FILING EQUIPMENT Filed Feb. 13, 1920 I s Sheets-Sheet 2 Jame 5, 1923; 1,458,112

'.I. T. QUIGLEY FILING EQUIPMENT Filed Feb. 15 l920 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 lmwaemiaz' Jzp hm T way,

Patented June 5, i923.

UNHTE. STATS 31,45,111 arena cornice.

JOHN T. QUIGL'EY, 015 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO COSTMETER COMP 1 OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

FILING EQUIPMENT.

Application filed. February 18, 1920. Serial No. 358,455.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. QUIsLnY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Filing Equipment, of which the following descriptlon, 1n connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to filing equipment of the class in which the sheets are arranged with their] identification-receiving margins in overlapping relationship. The invention aims to provide. improved means to attach the sheets to their support and to lnsure the desired minimum overlap or exposure of their margins. while still permitting any given sheet to be removed and replaced with the utmost ease. The invention further alms to provide inexpensive, durable and convenient means for enabling old card records to be taken from a drawer and visualized by arranging them in overlapping relationship, thereby avoiding the necessity of rewriting the records on new, speclally fabncated cards. a

My invention will be best understood by reference to the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of one specific embodiment thereof while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings.

' Fig. 1 is a front elevation of afihng equipment exemplifying my inventlon;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same;

, Fig. 3 is a sectional view on l1ne3-3 of 'Fi 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the sheet holder and spacer partially withdrawn from its normal position' Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings and to the embodiment of my invention which I have selected for exemplification, I have shown a file comprising a suitable sheet support 11, herein anv elongated strip of appropriate sheet material, preferably metal, on one face of which a series of sheets, herein cards 13 are arranged withv their identification-receiving margins presented in overlapping relationship as clearly shown in elevatlon 1n 1 and in section in Fig. 5. Herein, the strip is narrower than the cards, and the latter project laterally beyond both longitudinal edges of the strip in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The strip may be mounted on any suitable support and in the present example is provided with a perforation 15 to receive a hook or other support (not shown) from which it may be suspended. The strip may be" provided with suitable means to limit downward movement of the cards, and in the present instance I have shown for this purpose a stop 17 convenientl y formed by bending the lower end of the strip in a forward and upward direction as irvill 1be apparent from an inspection of 1g. Suitable means are provided for attachmg: the cards to the strip in such a manner as to provide for the removal of anygiven card from the strip without 'disturbing the others, and moreover to permit the card to be inserted and re-attached to the strip without removing any of the remaining cards from .the strip. Preferably the attaching. .Ineans performs the additional function of insuring the desired minimum degree of overlap or exposure of the identification-receiving margins of the cards. To these ends, in the preferred embodiment of my invention, the attaching and spacing elements are wires 18 extending transversely of the back of the sheet-supporting strip 11 and suitably secured to the cards. The wire of each sheet presents a support for the adjacent edge of V the next adjacent sheet as shown in rear elevation in Fig. 2 and in section in Fig. 5. The wires are preferably made of tempered flat stock which is resilient and can be flexed to a considerable degree, while in use, without acquirin a permanent set, yet, when undergoing fa rication, it can be shaped by the use of dies without the necessity of annealing the stock.

Herein, the wires are secured to the cards by providing each of the latter with two perforations 19 and 21 in which the wire is re- O I I o tlonal resistance sufficient to cause a card or group of cards to remain wherever placed on the strip. An example of this is shown at the upper portion of Fig. 1 where a group of four cards is shown separated from the remaining cards. The offsets in the wires prevent too great frictional resistance while also preventing an undesirable amount of bending of the sheets due to threading of the wires through the perforations. As a matter of convenience in manipulating the wires the latter are preferably extended to a point adjacent to one of the lateral edges of the sheetsfherein the righthand side where they may be grasped by the thumb and forefinger. Preferably, also the outer terminal portion of the wire is bent as at 27 to provide a convenient grasping portion to facilitate sliding the wire lengthwise. When the other end of the wire is withdrawn from the perforation 19, in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4, the card may be removed from its place without disturbin the remaining sheets.

nless the card has been removed for the purpose of placing it in a typewriter, it is preferable that the wire shall remain attached to the card and furthermore that it shall remain conveniently positioned for reintroduction into the perforation 19. To these ends, I may provide the card with one or more, herein two additional perforations .29 and 31 (See Figs. 3 and 4) through which the wire may be threaded, and preferably the wire is provided with two additional offsets 33 and 35 where it passes through the perforations 29 and 31, respectively. It should now be evident that when the inner end of the wire is withdrawn from the perforation 19, the wire will remain aligned therewith and it can be reintroduced conveniently. To facilitate the introduction of the wire its inner end may be bent as at 37, at a slight angle, so that it will enter easily when it comes into registration with the perforation. It is desirable to press the wire in a forward direction to insure its entrance into the perforation. This may be done by means of a finger of the left hand while the right hand .is manipulating the other end of the wire.

In operation, the cards may be rearranged and reclassified from time to time by simply removing any given card from the place which it occupies and introducing it at another point,--1t being understood, of course, that it will be necessary toslide some of the cards along the supporting strip to provide a space for the introduction of the card at the desired point. v

Having thus described one specific embodiment of my invention, what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is:

1. In a file, the combination of a sheetsupport, a series of overlapping sheets overlyingone side ofsaid support and having means means overlying the other side of saidsupport attached to the sheet in such position as to predetermine the minimum exposure of the overlapping margins of said sheets, and

having provision for detaching the same from said support without disturbing the remaining sheets.

2. In a file, the combination of a sheetr the overlapping margins. of said sheets, and

having provision for detaching the same from said support Without moving the remaining sheets along said support.

3. In a file, the combination of a sheetsupport, a series of overlapping sheets overlying one side of said support and having detachable sheet-holders overlying the other side of said support attached to the sheet in such position as to predetermine the minimum exposure of the overlapping margins of said sheets, said sheets and sheet-holders having provision permitting any sheetholder to be detached from its sheet with out disturbing the remaining sheets.

4:. In a file, the combination of a sheet= support, a series of overlapping sheets overlying one side of said support and having lying one side of said support and having a series of detachable sheet-holders overlying the other side of said support attached to the sheet in such position as to predetermine the minimum exposure of the overlapping margins of said sheets, said sheets and sheetholders having provision for permitting any sheet to be removed from and replaced on said support withoutremoving the remaining sheets from said support.

6. In a file, the combination of asheetsupport, a series of overlapping sheets overlying one side of said support and having spaclng means overlying the other side of said support'and having provision for detaching the same from said support without disturbing the remaining sheets.

7. In a file, the combination of a sheetsupport, a series of overlapping sheets overlying one side of said support and having minimum overlap of said sheets, said sheets and spacing means having provision for detaching said spacing means from said sheets and for detaching the latter from said support without disturbing the remaining sheets.

'8. In a file, the combination of a series of overlapping sheets, a series of sheet-holders secured to said sheets, respectively, and each presenting a support for the adjacent edge of the next adjacent sheet. each sheet-holder being attached to thesheet at two points and having an intermediate unattached portion. and a support interposed between such intermediate portions and said sheets.

9. In a file, the combination of a series of overlapping sheets, a series of sheet-holders secured to said sheets, respectively, and each presenting an offset support for the adjacent edge of the next adjacent sheet, each sheet-holder being attached to the sheet at two points and having an intermediate unattached portion, and a support interposed between such intermediate portions and said sheets.

10. In a' file, the combination of 'a series of perforated sheets having overlapping index margins, a series of sheet-holders extending through the perforations of said sheets, respectively, at two points and having an intermediate, unattached portipn attached to the sheet in such position as to predetermine the minimum exposure of the overlapping margins of said sheets, and a. support interposed between such intermediate portions and said sheets.

11. In a file, the combination of a series of overlapping, perforated sheets, a series of sheet-holders extending through the perforations of said sheets, respectively, at two points and having an intermediate, unattached ofi'set, sheet-supporting portion attached to the sheet in such position as to predetermine the minimum exposure of the overlapping margins of said sheets, and a support interposed between such intermediate portions and said sheets.

12. In a file, the combination of a series of overlapping, perforated sheets, a series of sheet-holders extending through the perforations of said sheets, respectively, at two points and having'an intermediate, unattached portion, said sheet-holders having grasping portions accessible from a point adjacent to the lateral edges of said sheets, and a support interposed between such intermediate portions and said sheets;

13. In a file, the combination of a series of overlapping, perforated sheets, a series of sheet-holders extending through the perforations of said sheets, respectively, at two points and having an intermediate, unattached portion, said sheet-holders extending through one or more other perforations of said sheets, and a support interposed between such intermediate portions and said sheets.

14. In a file, the combination of a series of overlapping, perforated sheets, a series of sheet-holders extending through the perforations of said sheets, respectively, at two points and having an intermediate, unattached portion, said sheet-holders being bent each at one end to facilitate its entrance into one of said perforations, and a support interposed between such intermediate portions and said sheets. i

15. In a file, the combination of a series of overlapping sheets, a series of resilient sheet-holders secured to said sheets, respectively. and each presenting a support for the adjacent edge of the next adjacent sheet, each sheetholder being attached to the sheet at two points and having an intermediate unattached portion, and a support interposed between such intermediate portions and said sheets.

16. In a file, the combination of a series of overlapping, perforated sheets, a series of sheet-holders extending through the per-i forations of said sheet-s, respectively, at two points and having an intermediate, unattached portion attached to the sheet in such position as to predetermine the minimum exposure of the overlapping margins of said sheets, said sheet-holders being offset where they pass through said perforations, and a support interposed between such intermediate portions and said sheets.

17. In a filing equipment, the combination of a series of overlapping cards, a support therefor narrower in width than said cards and extending transversely thereof, and means attached to the sheet in such position as to predetermine the minimum exposure of the overlapping margins of said sheets and providing for the removal and replacement of any of cards Without removing the remaining cards, said means comprising a series of elements movable relatively to said cards and to said support.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN T. QUIGLEY. 

